One Razorback, Two Former Hogs, Two UA Signees

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas’ Charlie Isaacson, former Razorbacks Brian Kirby and Wes McCrotty and UA signees John Davie and Isaac Dillon were among 869 players selected Wednesday during the second and final day of the 2001 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

The five selected in Wednesday’s final 30 rounds join a trio of UA baseball signees – Reggie Fitzpatrick, Corey Ragsdale and Chris Tierney – who were selected Tuesday during the draft’s first 20 rounds.

A left-handed pitcher and infielder for the Razorbacks and four-year letterman from 1998 through 2001, McCrotty was the first member of the 2001 UA squad selected in the draft. The Florida Marlins took the 6-1, 190-pound Russellville, Ark., product with the 16th pick of the 23rd round (692nd overall).

Another four-year letterman for the Hogs from 1998 through 2001 as a catcher and outfielder, Kirby was the second member of the 2001 UA squad to be selected in the draft. The Cleveland Indians selected the 6-1, 195-pound North Little Rock, Ark., native with the 21st pick of the 31st round (937th overall).

The Chicago Cubs made right-handed pitcher Charlie Isaacson the third member of the 2001 UA squad selected, taking the Overland Park, Kan., native with the second pick of the 34th round (1,008th overall). Isaacson has one year of collegiate eligibility remaining but could be granted an additional year after missing almost all of the 2000 season with tendonitis in his pitching shoulder.

Little Rock, Ark., native John Davie became the fourth Arkansas signee selected when the St. Louis Cardinals tabbed him with the 28th pick of the 32nd round (974th overall). A 6-5, 240-pound infielder and right-handed pitcher, Davie recently completed his prep career at Central Arkansas Christian High School in Little Rock.

A 6-2, 165-pound outfielder from Jonesboro, Ark., Dillon was selected by the Cincinnati Reds with the 20th pick of the 36th round (1086th overall). Dillon – a former teammate of Ragsdale at Nettleton High School – was the fifth UA signee picked in the draft.

A career .300 hitter for the Razorbacks, McCrotty completed his eligibility in 2001 with a 10-11 career pitching record and 6.62 ERA on the mound. McCrotty was also a key member of the Hogs’ 1999 SEC championship squad.

The third most prolific home run hitter in Arkansas history, Kirby also helped the Razorbacks to the 1999 SEC title. After spending his first 3 1/2 years at Arkansas in the UA outfield, Kirby moved to catcher during the final half of the 2001 season. The left-handed hitting Kirby’s 39 career home runs rank third on the Hogs’ all-time home run list and his 11 home runs in 1998 – the UA freshman record – helped him earn Freshman All-America honors.

Isaacson was 4-7 with a 5.60 ERA for the Razorbacks as a junior last season and owns a career 14-8 record and 4.27 ERA in three seasons at Arkansas. The 6-2, 180-pound Isaacson earned first-team All-SEC honors as a true freshman in 1999 while helping the Razorbacks to the Southeastern Conference championship.

For Isaacson and Kirby, Wednesday marked the second time they have been selected in the MLB draft. Isaacson was picked by the New York Yankees in the 13th round of the 1998 draft after a standout prep career at Shawnee Mission West High School, but elected to honor his commitment to UA. A year earlier, Kirby opted to play for the Razorbacks after the Cincinnati Reds selected him in the 23rd round of the 1997 draft.

The basic categories of players eligible for the draft are: (1) high school players, if they have graduated from high school and have not yet attended college or junior college; (2) players from four-year colleges who have either completed their junior or senior years or are at least 21 years old; (3) players from junior colleges, regardless of how many years of school they have completed; and (4) 21-year-old players. MLB teams who draft collegiate signees and players with collegiate eligibility remaining retain rights to those players until they begin classes next fall.

FORMER AND CURRENT UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS BASEBALL STUDENT-ATHLETES AND SIGNEES IN THE 2001 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL FIRST-YEAR PLAYER DRAFT
(COMPLETE DRAFT- ROUNDS 1-50)

PLAYER – POSITION – 2001 SCHOOL – MLB TEAM – ROUND (OVERALL SELECTION)
John Davie – RHP/IF – Central Arkansas Christian HS (Little Rock, Ark.) – St. Louis – 32 (974)
Isaac Dillon – OF – Nettleton HS (Jonesboro, Ark.) – Cincinnati – 36 (1,086)
Reggie Fitzpatrick – OF – McNair HS (Atlanta, Ga.) – Montreal – 5 (142)
*Charlie Isaacson – RHP – University of Arkansas – Chicago (NL) – 34 – (1,008)
Brian Kirby – C/OF – University of Arkansas – Cleveland – 31 (937)
Wes McCrotty – LHP/IF – University of Arkansas – Florida – 23 (692)
#Corey Ragsdale – SS – Nettleton HS (Jonesboro, Ark.) – New York (NL) – 2 (76)
Chris Tierney – LHP – Lockport (Ill.) HS – Kansas City – 7 (206)

* – has one year of collegiate eligibility remaining
# – supplemental second round selection

One Razorback, Two Former Hogs, Two UA Signees

BY ANDRES FOCIL

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